Shadowdoom9 (Andi)'s Forum Threads

Ben, please add the 2012 Converge / Napalm Death split EP.

RIP At the Gates vocalist Tomas Lindberg, who was one of the guests in the EP.

If you look in my Spotify playlists, you’ll find one titled “Workouts”. Fittingly I use this for my kettlebell and free weight exercise sessions, and I would say approx. 80% of the content is deathcore or metalcore. This is something of a revelation for someone who up until around three years ago had heard virtually zero of such music, in fact I had intentionally looked to avoid it for most of the two sub-genre’s existence. Whilst this by no means makes me an expert on such styles of metal, I figure that I am at a reasonable enough level of maturity with this music to pass the occasional comment on The Revolution clan feature release.

As Blood Runs Back have a sound that I instantly find jarring as they deploy that djenty style of riffing that reverberates throughout the track and then there’s the big bloopy and mathy leads that run riot over proceedings. ‘Hesper Prynne’ has the makings of great Meshuggah worship but blows it by just piling more things on top of one another. This track is then followed by instrumental track ‘Pouring Reign’ which just feels like pointless musings really. By this point I am missing some of the big, rhythmic riffs that I use to fuel my workouts. What constitutes as breakdowns here (and I genuinely like a good breakdown) feels just more like a fake slowing of the pace where something else happens. There are moments like on ‘The Brighter Side of Suffering’ when the album sounds a little more on point than on other occasions, but this is still a bit too tame for me.

For me, As Blood Runs Black lack cohesion, bobbing around a little too much on the waves of their own farts in the bath water. I am aware as I type this that I am commenting on a scene that I do not entirely understand and so I am trying not to sound disingenuous to what I am listening to. To put it in grown up terms, the record is too melodic and lacks consistent punch. Tracks such as ‘Beneath the Surface’ start off with such promise but soon end up sounding more or less like every other track on the record and after a while (a short while), this just grates on me.

2/5

These two albums by Iron Fire have some classic heavy metal as part of their sound, side-by-side with their usual power metal. Many tracks here are more mid-tempo and have more classic anthemic-sounding insturmentation, as opposed to the fast melodic style of power metal. So I'd like to send Iron Fire's "Blade of Triumph" and "To the Grave" to the Hall to be added to heavy metal while staying in power metal.

3 Inches of Blood have always had their heavy/power metal sound, and this album is no exception. There's enough fast melodic guitarwork, anthemic hooks, and fantasy-ish lyrics in many tracks to justify adding the album to power metal. So I'd like to submit 3 Inches of Blood's "Here Waits Thy Doom" to the Hall to be added to power metal while maintaining its position in heavy metal.

The first 3 Conception albums I believe have more of a progressive power metal sound, as opposed to the strictly melodic progressive metal sound of subsequent albums. There's enough fast melodic guitarwork, anthemic hooks, and fantasy-ish lyrics in many tracks to justify adding the album to power metal. So I'd like to submit Conception's "The Last Sunset", "Parallel Minds", and "In Your Multitude" to the Hall to be added to The Guardians and power metal while staying in The Infinite and progressive metal.

Although The Dark Element has often bordered on power metal, their second album Songs the Night Sings has more of a full-on symphonic metal sound. The fast melodic guitarwork, anthemic hooks, and fantasy-ish lyrics aren't as much as in their debut. The two Dark Element albums basically relive the "symphonic power metal to symphonic metal" transition of vocalist Anette Olzon's albums with Nightwish. So I'd like to submit The Dark Element's "Songs the Night Sings" to the Hall to be removed from power metal while maintaining its position in symphonic metal.

Lord of the Lost started having a full-on symphonic metal direction in their latest album, but they still have their usual gothic/industrial metal. The dark melodic guitarwork and electronics of those two genres still aren't out of the picture. So I'd like to send Lord of the Lost's "Opvs Noir Vol. 1" to the Hall with two submissions to be:

1. Added to The Fallen and gothic metal.

2. Added to The Sphere and industrial metal.

All while staying in The Guardians and symphonic metal.

Ghostlights is one of Avantasia's more symphonic works, but it still has the project's usual power metal sound. There's enough fast melodic guitarwork, anthemic hooks, and fantasy-ish lyrics in many tracks to justify adding the album to power metal. So I'd like to submit Avantasia's "Ghostlights" to the Hall to be added to power metal while maintaining its position in symphonic metal.

I've done my review, here's its summary:

Creativity and technology were really advancing in the 90s. ONE MAN, Klayton decided to put his music skills to the test as a once-unknown man determined to fulfill his vision. His project Circle of Dust takes on industrial metal fury that has given him a reasonable fanbase. Turmoils over record labels and the target audience caused the end of the project. He would start his next project Celldweller and formed his own label FiXT, having more electronic rock/industrial metal freedom. Early hints of Circle of Dust returning came in 2015 with a couple remixes of Celldweller and Scandroid (his electronic side-project) tracks. Later that year, it was announced that he finally regained to the albums he made as Circle of Dust, as well as Argyle Park, re-releasing them in remastered forms with a huge array of bonus material. While he has completely brought all of his 90s work back to light, there was one thing left to prove that Circle of Dust isn't dead... A new album! Machines of Our Disgrace, released in late 2016, has the blazing aggression of industrial metal you've known from Circle of Dust, probably the best album since Brainchild. Some of the best lyrics, riffs, keys, and samples can be found in this album. There's more of the cyber complexity from the first two albums as well as the synths and beats of Disengage. Well-produced compositions push through the limits of industrial metal, coming out as another perfect achievement. The music and lyrics are both heavy and compelling, with the concept of striking back against the mechanical atrocities of the world. Klayton has proven himself to be a master of industrial rock/metal, and longtime fans can enjoy this music that's so complex and intense. Circle of Dust has returned, and the vision has come full circle!

5/5

Recommended tracks: "Machines of Our Disgrace", "Contagion", "Humanarchy", "Hive Mind", "Outside In", "Neurachem", "Neophyte"

For fans of: Argyle Park, Blue Stahli, Celldweller

As much as As Blood Runs Black's debut can be considered deathcore, there's also a lot of melodeath to remind some of At the Gates and The Black Dahlia Murder. This can be heard in the fast guitarwork, melodic soloing, and blast beats, all common in the subgenre. So I'd like to submit As Blood Runs Black's "Allegiance" to the Hall to be added to The Horde as melodic death metal while keeping its existing position in The Revolution and deathcore.

I've done my review, here's its summary:

A decade had passed since the djenty debut album by Vildhjarta, Masstaden, the album that pushed the boundaries of djent just like when Meshuggah invented it in the mid-90s. The long wait for their second album is partially because of Calle Thomer (guitar) and Buster Odeholm (drums) being focused on fellow thall developer Humanity's Last Breath. They still have their perfect groove-ish progressive djent in this next album, the massive 80-minute Masstaden Under Vatten (Seagull Town Underwater)! While thall can mean anything, I would say it's as evil and strong as Thrall, the World of Warcraft character that inspired the genre's name. This is exemplified by the complexity, atmosphere, and downtuned heaviness that make the subgenre, following the band's unconventional ways including no set structure, destructive riffing, and clean melody only used for haunting atmosphere, thereby maintaining the band's aggressive evolution. The talent of each member shines from the vocals of Vilhelm Bladin, the drums of Odeholm, the guitars of Thomer and Daniel Bergstrom, and the bass of Johan Nyberg, all drifting through dark djenty waters. The thall sound has opened up dimensions of darkness and brutality that barely any other band could. This is true kaos!

5/5

Recommended tracks: "Nar De Du Alskar Kommer Tillbaka Fran De Doda", "Toxin", "Den Helige Anden", "Passage Noir", "Vagabond", "Detta Drommars Skote en Sloja Till Ormars Naste", "Sunset Sunrise", "Sunset Sunrise Sunset Sunrise", "Paaradiso"

For fans of: Humanity's Last Breath, Meshuggah, Reflections

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

Architects - "Deep Fake" from The Classic Symptoms of a Broken Spirit (2022)

4/5. The opening track of its original album and this playlist has the band's typical riff-wrath in a slower industrial march. The lyrics pay tribute to their previous album, "But the rest of us wish to exist". We have a killer blend of riffs and synths here. It's clear that they're following Bring Me the Horizon's footsteps during their Post Human era. Sam Carter even channels his own Oli Sykes in the heavy chorus. Carter might be able to sing that one song featuring Sykes by himself. Anyway, great track!

Lord of the Lost, Within Temptation - "Light Can Only Shine in the Darkness" from Light Can Only Shine in the Darkness (2025)

4.5/5. Lord of the Lost and Sharon den Adel are practically a match made in Heaven! Her vocals shining in the band's symphonic/industrial metal sound adds a new dimension of dark yet bright serenity.

Mechina - "Vanquisher" from Acheron (2015)

5/5. Another powerful highlight, this one working well separately from the concept as a pre-release single.

Fear Factory - "Martyr" from Soul of a New Machine (1992)

5/5. This highlight already shows the band's audacity of beginning with a verse of brutal guitar and growls and then switching to a clean bridge midway through. Well played!

Misery Loves Co. - "Sonic Attack" from Misery Loves Co. (1995)

3.5/5. This one starts off in a ballad-like pace, then the sharp riffing aggression continues.

Acumen Nation - "Queener" from Territory=Universe (1996)

4/5. A great track of electro-industrial metal. RIP James Duffy

Tyrant of Death - "Because Death is Not Ready Yet" from Re Connect (2012)

4.5/5. It's sad that some talented people have to go, but death is not ready yet for this underrated shining star of djenty industrial metal, Alex Rise.

Mass Hysteria - "Matiere Noire" from Matiere Noire (2015)

4/5. The beginning samples here sound like a NASA rocket launch, great metaphor for this song blasting off into French industrial metal.

Sonic Violence - "Ritual" from Jagd (1990)

4.5/5. This one is a loud puncher with simple yet intriguing lyrics, "For devotion, read mental abuse, to bind together, the love prostitutes".

Killing Joke - "Mathematics of Chaos" from Pandemonium (1994)

4/5. This one takes you into a metallic trance, as the wizardry of the instrumentation is in clear production, thanks to Youth.

Zynthetic - "Bled Dry" from Soundtrack for the Apocalypse (2010)

4.5/5. My brother enjoys playing "shoot 'em up" video games like Killing Floor and Left 4 Dead. He also likes the soundtrack, whether it's the OST or rock/metal bands contributing with their own songs. From the 20-second intro, you're already in for some eerie electro-industrial metal with background growls/screams. You can have fun slaying your enemies in the game while listening to this track. Quite inspiring despite having absolute zero lyrics. This also might remind some of Nine Inch Nails' more experimental noise material. In these kinds of games, it's all about skill and survival.

Rammstein - "Ich Will" from Mutter (2001)

4/5. The keyboard/guitar rhythm is so catchy though can get tiring after many listens. This song of desire for fame has made a fantastic live staple.

OOMPH! - "Breathtaker" from Sperm (1994)

3.5/5. Indeed what the title suggests, unlike most of that album.

Circle of Dust - "Deviate (Blue Stahli Remix)" from alt_Machines (2018)

5/5. Klayton and Blue Stahli have remixed so many of each other's tracks. They should really make a collaboration album sometime! One of the best remixes by Blue Stahli!

Illidiance - "Mind Hunters" from Damage Theory (2010)

4.5/5. Fear Factory has planted the seed for the cyber metal subgenre, with one of those bands including Illidiance. Sybreed and Breach the Void are definitely part of that wave too. And don't forget the more epic bands like Mechina and Neurotech. Anyway, I enjoy the clean/harsh vocal harmonies, definitely like a more futuristic Disarmonia Mundi and The Human Abstract.

Realize - "In Silence" from Two Human Minutes (2023)

4/5. Now we're getting into a more experimental lineup of tracks, starting with this one.

Raubtier - "Varldsherravalde" from Skriet Fran Vildmarken (2010)

3.5/5. Not as highly experimental as the next few tracks, but there are interesting parts to like such as the second verse one and a half minutes in.

Skymning - "Trolltekk / Aggrotekk" from Machina Genova (2004)

3/5. This one's more aggrotech-ish than I accounted for while still metal.

Bong-Ra - "Bloodclot" from Black Noise (2025)

3.5/5. Now we have a straight-on interlude, but it's better than the previous track.

NOWHERE2RUN, Loathe - "Ant in the Afterbirth" from Ant in the Afterbith (2024)

4/5. Members of Code Orange and Loathe have collaborated with each other for a cyber industrial track. It has a similar vibe to late-80s Ministry and Marilyn Manson, the latter whom Reba Meyers has been performing with lately.

Turmion Katilot - "Helvetin Torvet" from Universal Satan (2018)

4.5/5. In this excellent gem, you can hear some of the most diverse lyrics from the band, all fitting well with the music they're known for.

Atrocious Filth - "Moans" (5:21) from Moans (2016)

4/5. Lots of atmospheric power similar to the late 80s industrial metal developing classics by Godflesh and Ministry.

Eisbrecher - "Atem" from Die Holle Muss Warten (2012)

4.5/5. One more hauntingly beautiful Neue Deutsche Harte track.

Neurotech - "Memory Eternal" from Memory Eternal (2024)

5/5. This one is a progressive cyber metal monument. Pretty much everything Neurotech fans love is in in this 8-minute epic. A much better one than the title track of Solace!

Fear of Domination - "Ruin" from Metanoia (2018)

5/5. The absolute best highlight of its original album and this playlist! It's one of the most experimental tracks by the band, starting off doomy before exploding into a ballad when some Apocalyptica-like cellos and jazzy magic. So different yet a perfect way out!

Pretty good playlist I've made, huh? I recommend this to any industrial metal fan and anyone who isn't into industrial metal but is up to getting into a great start for the genre. Thanks to anyone who have contributed with their own submissions, and I hope the rest of you enjoy it like I've had!

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

Aftershock - "Prelude to Forever" from Through the Looking Glass (1999)

4/5. It's not often a metalcore album or playlist starts with a 7 and a half minute epic, but here we are. Ambient feedback rises before a couple minutes of heavy sludgy riffing and drumming. So basically, the first third of the song is an instrumental. As the vocals come in, the tempo in the riffing slowly increases from mid-tempo to finally reaching a punky thrash pace. This is early groove-ish metalcore at its finest, sounding quite heavy without ever having to resort low djent tunings. Fast riffing, catchy hooks, and deathly breakdowns, all in the moderately heavy drop C tuning. What more can you ask for in metalcore?

Overcast - "Root Bound Apollo" from Reborn to Kill Again (2008)

4.5/5. Thundering riffs and rhythms continue in this song that was meant to be for Overcast's then-shelved 3rd album and ended up in Shadows Fall's album Of One Blood. It still remains one of my favorite early-ish metalcore songs with a fast searing Metallica-like solo, alongside the thrashy riffing and vocals.

Nora - "For the Travelers" from Loser's Intuition (2001)

4/5. Then we have one of the heaviest anthems I've heard from this band. The riffs and tempo practically shapeshift into different forms, even slowing down for the dark effects of Godflesh. Indeed for the metalcore travelers!

Zao - "The Race of Standing Still" from (Self-Titled) (2001)

4.5/5. Songs like this remain eternal classics, just like many of the tracks from albums like Where Blood and Fire Bring Rest. The intro might remind some of Deftones before their usual metalcore rises. "RISING TOWARDS IT!!!" They can sing about death without adding deathly elements to their music. This band, Haste the Day, and Poison the Well would bring metalcore to a greater light in the early 2000s.

August Burns Red - "Composure" from Messengers (2007)

5/5. One of the band's best and most popular songs, with lyrics about keeping yourself together and carrying on. The song itself features an exciting headbanging breakdown with dual guitar harmony.

Poison the Well - "12/23/93" from The Opposite of December... A Season of Separation (1999)

5/5. After the beginning drum roll by Chris Hornbrook, there's a lot of fury from the guitar and vocals. Jeffrey Moreira has wonderful vocals as he screams well-written lyrics at the top of his lungs. Not a lot of metalcore vocalists have the same rage as Jeffrey, and that's probably good health-wise. That, along with active smoking and when he used his screaming offstage after finding out the band's equipment was stolen, would lead to him suffering a collapsed lung, but he recovered. Anyway, he also does some clean singing that helps the band standout among other early metalcore bands.

The Breathing Process - "Inferno" from In Waking: Divinity (2008)

4.5/5. An earlier track from the I Am Legion demo, and I love the clean chorus here. If they had more of that in the actual album, I would rate it higher.

Neaera - "Desecrators" from Let the Tempest Come (2006)

4/5. Another kick-A track from this melodeath/metalcore band bordering in deathcore.

Strife - "Lift" (3:35) from One Truth (1994)

3.5/5. This one lifts things up through hardcore fire.

Blood of the Martyrs - "I Know Why the Caged Bird Kills" (3:41) from Once More With Feeling (2011)

5/5. Absolutely loving this track. The drumming isn't totally perfect, but everything else it. More from this band please!

The Dillinger Escape Plan - "Horse Hunter" (3:11) from Ire Works (2007)

4.5/5. An amazing track usual TDEP mathcore before going into their Zappa influences, more furious groove, spacey synths, and guest vocals by Mastodon's Brent Hinds. This was a last-minute addition to the playlist after finding out about Brent's passing. RIP

Car Bomb - "Blindsides" from Tiles Whispers Dreams (2025)

4.5/5. Savage drumming and guitar by Elliot Hoffman and Greg Kubacki, respectively. It might be worth listening to in a car ride, but at the risk of ending up in sonic speed.

Converge - "Worms Will Feed / Rats Will Feast" from Axe to Fall (2009)

5/5. This crushing two-part choice cut slows the action down to sludgy doom.

Frontierer - "Bunsen" from Orange Mathematics (2015)

4.5/5. More of the mathcore action comes in with tons of noisy distortion in a catchy fashion.

Cult Leader - "Craft of Mourning" from A Patient Man (2018)

4/5. Some of the most f***ing deathly mathcore I've heard! Some might get Cannibal Corpse/Spawn of Possession vibes here.

Drown in Sulphur - "The Sleeping Abomination" from Sulphur Cvlt (2021)

4.5/5. The lyrics strike with their dark universal concept in the best song of this Drown in Sulphur album.

Mental Cruelty - "Chapter II - The Rise of the Antichrist" from Purgatorium (2018)

5/5. One of the most technical tracks by this band. This relentless charger is like a more brutal Within the Ruins!

A Wake in Providence - "The Court ov the Trinity" from Eternity (2022)

5/5. This one very well summarizes both this deathcore trilogy and its original trilogy with lots of exciting moments. In all honesty, the original trilogy really should be performed in a live setting in its entirety. No separating the tracks!

The Red Chord - "Breed the Cancer" from Fused Together in Revolving Doors (2002)

4.5/5. Another perfect highlight! Though this one I consider outside of that deathcore trilogy.

Spitfire - "Quintenessence at Glance" from The Dead Next Door (1999)

4.5/5. One of the most quintessential songs in early math/metalcore, with Rosetta-esque sludgy tempo.

Trivium - "Bury Me With My Screams" from Bury Me With My Screams (2025)

5/5. Trivium is back with a vengeance, filled with awesome heavy groove. Hopefully the Struck Dead EP would lead up to the new album next year.

Annisokay - "Into the Gray" from Abyss Pt II (2025)

4.5/5. Another powerful new track, this one being more of a ballad, sounding like a more electronic Imminence. Nice vocals by both vocalists!

Avenged Sevenfold - "Second Heartbeat" from Waking the Fallen (2003)

4/5. F***ing underrated track compared to their more popular singles. The ending solo is one of the best by the band, especially with its drop C tuning.

Vision of Disorder - "Jada Bloom" from Imprint (1998)

4.5/5. Late 90s metalcore has spawned some great treasures. It really touches my heart as pretty much one of the first ever uplifting metalcore ballads. I've also heard that one of their songs (not this one) features Phil Anselmo. The beat is still quite hammering, along with the addictive heavy starting riff. Around that time, this band and Fear Factory were the ones popularizing this clean/scream blend. So f***ing beautiful, especially that second half!

Hope for the Dying - "Legacy" from Legacy (2016)

5/5. My ultimate favorite track of its original album and this playlist is the 9-minute title epic that really packs some punches. A smooth two-minute bridge comes in midway through before some blazing soloing out of nowhere. Then it ends with soft strings.

Wolves at the Gate - "The Father's Bargain" from VxV (2014)

4.5/5. "What kind of love is this, friends? What kind of love is that is so big, so without bounds, that He would come, He would want, He would want to do so much to rescue people who wanted nothing to do with Him? Who fought Him even when He came to cleave us from hell? What kind of love is it that sees us in our filth, comes to rescue us, sees us resist that rescue, but continues to rescue us anyway? What foolishness is this? That He would come offer us rescue and we would say, 'No!' Why? What are we gaining by our resistance? Oh, how glorious He is, that He saw you like that and didn’t give up!" A well-spoken quote from this Christian metalcore track to end this playlist, suitable for anyone whether or not raised as a Christian.

Pretty good playlist I've made, huh? I recommend this to any metalcore fan and anyone who isn't into metalcore but is up to getting into a great start for the genre. Thanks to anyone who have contributed with their own submissions, and I hope the rest of you enjoy it like I've had!

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

Blind Guardian - "Imaginations From the Other Side" from Imaginations From the Other Side (1995)

5/5. The opening title track of this absolute gem of a Blind Guardian album is one of the best album openers and power metal songs I've heard in my life. It picks up where things left off from the end of their previous album Somewhere Far Beyond, this time with more atmospheric structure. The vocal density would be further displayed in the next album Nightfall in Middle-Earth, as well as those harmonic guitar leads. EPIC!!!!

Galneryus - "Finally, It Comes!" from The Stars Will Light the Way (2024)

5/5. I think I just found my new favorite Japanese metal band in Galneryus. The music and lyrics are so strong and never disappoint. This song in particular takes many cues from their earlier songs has the same "stars and space" vibe as DragonForce. They've also taken on 7-string B-flat tuning similar to recent Trivium.

Trivium - "Until the World Goes Cold" from Silence in the Snow (2015)

3/5. Speaking of Trivium's new 7-string B-flat-tuned era, well... This one is kind of a plodding track, but still an acceptable hit in a Guardians playlist.

Black Sabbath - "Hole in the Sky" from Sabotage (1975)

3.5/5. Time for one of a couple tributes here to the late mighty Ozzy Osbourne, sadly already taken to Heaven. RIP

Battle Beast - "Here We Are" from Here We Are (2025)

4/5. Earlier this year, I wasn't thinking I would actually return to The Guardians, but HERE WE ARE!!! And I'll never regret it any time soon! All the band members have power and talent shining within them.

Metal Church - "Metal Church" from Metal Church (1984)

3.5/5. Should there be a metal mosque for Muslims like me? Anyway, this is a good mind-blowing classic, but I think it's more suited for people from my dad's generation.

Halford - "Resurrection" from Resurrection (2000)

4/5. Rob Halford is quite f***ing impressive in his vocal range, able to keep his highs going from the intro onwards.

Judas Priest - "The Serpent and the King" from Invincible Shield (2024)

4.5/5. And there's more of Halford's vocal power in his main band Judas Priest. He still sounds as mighty as he was in the 70s and 80s, and the other band members have strong fire within their respective instruments. So monstrous with nothing wasted!

Ozzy Osbourne - "Believer" from Diary of a Madmen (1981)

4/5. Another great tribute to the Prince of Darkness who brought metal to the light of day. RIP him and Randy Rhoads. Fantastic earth-shattering soloing from the latter at the 3-minute mark! These lyrics should help motivate you to believe in yourself.

Crimson Glory - "Masque of the Red Death" from Transcendence (1988)

4.5/5. Now this song continues to kick a**! RIP Midnight, another fallen legend of a vocalist. I should really listen to this band and album more, as I had a few years before this comment. His high vocals covering the last minute of the track shows that he and vocalists from other bands like Queensryche need more attention, not pop stars like Ed Sheeran whose vocal range is more limited yet still get all the fame. Classic music like this should never be forgotten!

Accept - "Shadow Soldiers" from Stalingrad (2012)

4/5. Wolf Hoffmann is a master of the guitar in German classic metal. His work should be appreciated as much as other guitar heroes in the rest of Europe, UK, and America.

Mercyful Fate - "Melissa" from Melissa (1983)

4.5/5. Beautiful melancholy and strong lyrical poetry! As I'm already 26, my music mind has expanded more in different areas, mostly metal of course. I don't mind a small bit from this band that would plant the seed for satanism in metal that would form the lyrical basis of black metal. I love the guitar leads in the intro that the soloing 4 minutes later. Why take something like that for granted!? The drumming is also good, and while I enjoy King Diamond's vocals, I wish it would have the same power Rob Halford has.

Manowar - "Battle Hymn" from Battle Hymns (1982)

4/5. I probably would've love this band a lot more when I was 16 and enjoy the sh*t out of fantasy-filled heavy/power metal, but back then I wasn't into music from the 80s or earlier. Just like the previous track, the best guitar soloing happens in over the 4-minute mark. I also love the epic vocals here!

Sabaton - "The Duelist" from The Duelist (2025)

4.5/5. Songs like this should also be appreciated for the music and lyrical concept. Simply cool!

Beyond the Black - "Break the Silence" from Break the Silence (2025)

5/5. I'm really breaking my symphonic metal silence with the first of not one but 3 gems from bands of that genre that I wish I discovered 10 years prior! This would be a grand recommendation for symphonic metal fans!

Xandria - "Fight Me" from India (2005)

5/5. I only just started hearing about Xandria a couple years ago when temporarily filling in for Xephyr in assembling the Guardians playlists. This is the first song from this band that I actually consider perfect! Lisa Middelhauve has some of the best female singing around.

Amberian Dawn - "River of Tuoni" from River of Tuoni (2008)

5/5. I've actually encountered this track 10 years before this comment but for some reason, that band didn't hop aboard my symphonic/power metal train at the time. Now I realize how epic this song is, as the lyrics take on the death of Lemminkäinen from the Kalevala. The intro riffing sounds cool, though the real beauty comes the voice of an angel, Heidi Parviainen, singing smoothly and serenely, just like Tarja Turunen. I should keep up this search for underrated symphonic/power metal bands. H*ll, I really want to move to Finland and the rest of Scandinavia for some awesome metal there. This band should really be as popular as Nightwish, Epica, and Within Temptation.

Within Temptation - "Iron" from The Unforgiving (2011)

4.5/5. And speaking of Within Temptation, this track is so heavy and epic, right from the intro riffing onwards. The song itself reminds me of DragonForce's "Cry Thunder" and it's better at that than those poor rip-offs like Warkings' cover of that song and Sabaton's "Union".

Kiuas - "Warrior Soul" from The Spirit of Ukko (2005)

5/5. A f***ing hammering power metal anthem. Enough said!

Golden Resurrection - "Identity in Christ" from Man with a Mission (2011)

4.5/5. That's right, Christian neoclassical power metal exists! Christian Liljegren has amazing widely ranged vocals as he sings about the eternal truth and finding his identity in his god. These kinds of lyrics help the band stand out amongst the power metal scene of bands like Rhapsody of Fire, Blind Guardian, Sabaton, and Powerwolf.

Yngwie Malmsteen - "World on Fire" from World on Fire (2016)

4.5/5. In a time when metal is about adding more guitar strings than just 6 per guitar, Yngwie Malmsteen still has his 6-string magic. Lots of incredible different changes in the guitar tone here. He can really go fast and furious!

Visions of Atlantis - "Seven Seas" from Trinity (2007)

5/5. And now we slow down for one of the best songs by Visions of Atlantis! Well, as much as I love the vocals by Melissa Ferlaak, their first female vocalist Nicole Bogner really helped the band out in their earlier years. RIP...

Dark Moor - "Dies Irae (Amadeus)" from The Gates of Oblivion (2002)

5/5. Then at last, we reach the epic climax of this playlist, paying tribute to Mozart's works. The most incredible guitar technicality by Enrik Garcia is one of the many things that make this Dark Moor's most fascinating epic. As incredible as this is, I feel like there could've been slight trimming to tone down some of the repetition. Still I wouldn't change a thing, and it's all worth it in the end. One tiny miniscule flaw won't weigh anything down.

Stratovarius - "Goodbye" from Fright Night (1989)

4.5/5. Now how about a beautiful yet melancholic acoustic outro to end it all? Goodbye until next time in the Guardians playlist....

Pretty good playlist I've made, huh? I recommend this to any heavy/power/symphonic/neoclassical metal fan and anyone who isn't into those genres but is up to getting into a great start for the genre. Thanks to anyone who have contributed with their own submissions, and I hope the rest of you enjoy it like I've had!

Similarly with Killwhitneydead's 2002 debut release, I find lots of prominent doses of the brutal relentless intensity of deathgrind in their 2004 album. That can be heard in the caustic guitar (even going far into melodeath leads but I hesitate in bringing that genre into this), deathly monstrous riffing, occasional pummeling blast-beats, and the grindcore aspect of really short songs. So I'd like to submit Killwhitneydead's "Never Good Enough for You" to the Hall to be added to The Horde as grindcore while keeping its existing position in The Revolution and deathcore.

Hope for the Dying's 2013 album Aletheia has the progressive metalcore sound that would continue on in Legacy, but there's more of the symphonic/neo-classical approach they've had since Dissimulation. Many of the songs in Aletheia have symphonic grandeur and classic heavy metal-based instrumentation. With that I'd like to send Hope for the Dying's "Aletheia" to the Hall to be added to The Guardians as symphonic metal, while maintaining its position in The Infinite and The Revolution.

Good feedback, Sonny! And sorry about those first two tracks affecting your plan to switch clans.

In truth, I never would have anyway, Andi. There are just too many of my all-time favourites in The Pit for me to abandon it, even if really great new releases are exceedingly few and far between.

Vildhjarta is known as the inventors of thall, and we've established that if thall was added to this site (not happening), it would be more of an Infinite subgenre, specifically djent. I wouldn't consider Vildhjarta a metalcore band, and even then, only a couple songs in this album have the crushing riffs and unclean vocals of metalcore. With that, I'd like to submit Vildhjarta's "+ Där skogen sjunger under evighetens granar +" to the Hall to be removed from The Revolution while maintaining its position in The Infinite and djent.

These two Humanity's Last Breath albums are considered deathcore, but I don't think that's enough to describe them. They're both considered thall which is a djent subgenre, and it's quite clear from the complex rhythms and downtuned riffs of djent brutalized. So I'd like to submit Humanity's Last Breath's "Abyssal" and "Valde" to the Hall to be added to The Infinite as djent while staying in The Revolution and deathcore.

The 2003 debut by Masterplan has some classic heavy metal as part of their sound, side-by-side with their usual power metal. Many tracks here are more mid-tempo and have more classic anthemic-sounding insturmentation, as opposed to the fast melodic style of power metal. So I'd like to send Masterplan's 2003 self-titled debut to the Hall to be added to heavy metal while staying in power metal.

I'm honestly a little surprised by the results of me recently revisiting this Disturbed album, at a time of two problematic things: 1. Some political controversy towards vocalist David Draiman, and 2. My alt-metal interest is fading as proven by my thoughts on the August 2025 Gateway playlist. It's actually good enough to earn an extra half-star in my previously 3-star rating. Here are my thoughts:

The album is where the band has found the sound they were looking for, by combining the guttural Hell of The Sickness with the cleaner Heaven of Believe. Though while Draiman does his part in combining the aspects of the first two albums, his mix of theatrics and metallics cause him to alternate between two different sides. Having that Gollum-like aspect is a little, well, disturbing, but at least we still the best of both sides, his operatic baritone and his metal intensity. Oh, and his trademark "AH-AH-AH-OWW!!!" In many songs, the verses show him singing in a rap-ish pace, balanced out with the rock-out chorus. The tracks that don't seem to catch on for me are the ones that are either too experimental or repetitive, like the band's attempt at making a prog-ish 6-minute epic or adding too much electronic experimentation. With that said, their Genesis cover rules! Ten Thousand Fists is an album of beastly heaviness as expected in modern rock/metal. However, the more mainstream parts of the album again show the perils of The Gateway and my taste in the clan. But if my interest in alt-/nu metal really does fade away, albums like this help make sure that nothing's in vain....

3.5/5

Recommended tracks: "Ten Thousand Fists", "Just Stop", "Stricken", "Sons of Plunder", "Forgiven", "Land of Confusion", "Sacred Lie"

For fans of: Breaking Benjamin, Staind, Device

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

Sybreed - "Emma-0" from Antares (2007)

5/5. The starting track of this album and playlist has beats and synths rising from the distorted background before unleashing sinister guitar riffing. Vocalist Benjamin Nominét screams his heart out against life struggles mutilating and hurting him.

KONG - "Hok" from Mute Poet Vocalizer (1990)

4.5/5. Another great start, with everything set up by the groovy audible bass by Mark Drillich.

Godflesh - "Slavestate" from Slavestate (1991)

5/5. One of the best songs by these British pioneers of industrial metal, with some of the best bass. Industrial metal is best suited underground and not as highly electronic-focused as bands like Skinny Puppy.

Pitchshifter - "Catharsis" from Industrial (1991)

4.5/5. Another standout, in which black metal-ish guitar tremolos plays over doomy sludge, maintaining the industrial mix.

KMFDM - "Inane" from Xtort (1996)

4/5. This one is INSANE!!! Sascha Konietzko performs his usual vocal distortion alongside rising chords, singing about the band themselves and their greatness. The country-ish guitars are also quite fun.

Genitorturers - "Lessor Gods" from 120 Days of Genitorture (1993)

4.5/5. Another heavy track filled with heavy desire to please the album's listeners, especially from the 30-second opening intro that sounds like Slayer.

Lard - "Bozo Skeleton" from The Last Temptation of Reid (1990)

4/5. Smooth bass once again starts up this mid-paced track with catchy vocals flowing together with heavy instrumentation. This legendary hardcore/industrial combo continues to impress me!

Mechina - "Machine God" from Tyrannical Resurrection (2007)

3.5/5. Attacking in different tempos is this long track, though this version is missing the piano outro.

Skrew - "Jesus Skrew Superstar" from Dusted (1994)

4/5. This one cranks up the thrash, the way Fear Factory and Strapping Young lad would a year after this album's release.

Lord of the Lost, Tina Guo - "Ghosts" from Ghosts (2025)

4.5/5. Amazing piece of beauty and intensity! I love the cello by Tina Guo here.

The Interbeing - "Ruin" from Icon of the Hopeless (2022)

4/5. This one crashes through with more of the pulverizing verses and emotional choruses.

Oddko - "Kitty Girl" from Kitty Girl (2022)

4.5/5. Amazing cyber metal track with touches of Rammstein. But now I can't stop hearing those d*mn meows.

A Dark Halo - "It Never Sleeps" from Omnibus One (2023)

4/5. Another one of my favorites from that A Dark Halo album, sounding haunting while having the lovely clean singing of Mel Rose.

Fear of Domination - "Legion" from Distorted Delusions (2014)

4.5/5. And another favorite track here! Guitar/keyboard melodies reach an intense height, and the ending climax is EPIC.

Cypecore - "Chosen Chaos" from Version 4.5: The Dark Chapter (2024)

4/5. Blasting off is this song with one of the coolest titles ever chosen. It has only a short amount of time for you to actually prepare for the chaos. The blasts and guitarwork strike through with their might. The vocals help make the song sound like industrial melodeath-ish metalcore gone Disturbed.

Fange - "Mortes Promesses" from Purulences (2025)

3.5/5. A good hard-hitter despite some flaws. Enough said!

Rammstein - "Zeig Dich" from Rammstein (2019)

3/5. I prefer Neue Deutsche Härte as a side-dish rather than a main course. Still that second chorus might have potential for a space battle in a German sci-fi film.

Megaherz - "Abendstern" from Götterdämmerung (2012)

2.5/5. Too much of a German romantic love ballad. Moving on...

Source of Tide - "Serenade of Silence" from Blueprints (2002)

3/5. Not a whole lot better, but at least we're back in the English zone.

Ktulu - "In a Gada Da Vida - Iron Butterfly" from 2078" (2000)

3.5/5. A few bonus points for making this Iron Butterfly cover more kick-A.

Dagoba - "The Fall of Men" from What Hell is About (2006)

4/5. Much heavier than the last 5 tracks, so thumbs up for that!

Eisbrecher - "Segne Deinen Schmerz" from Eiszeit (2010)

3.5/5. And we're back into a little more of the NDH. This one's almost like a blend of Rammstein's "Du Hast" and Finger Eleven's "Living in a Dream".

Killing Joke - "Blood on Your Hands" from Killing Joke (2003)

4/5. A groovy highlight from Killing Joke's 2003 self-titled album.

Static-X - "The Trance is the Motion" from Wisconsin Death Trip (1999)

4.5/5. This monolithic standout has better vocals, including those growls by Wayne Static. RIP

Neurotech - "To Theta State" from Stigma (2015)

5/5. And now for this 11-minute epic, an ambient electronic instrumental that marks a perfect mini-journey of darkness and hope. I can't believe how perfect a non-metal track like that can be, and how well it fits in The Sphere!

Omega Lithium - "Pjesma" from Kinetik (2011)

5/5. The final track of this album and playlist marks the band's swan song. It's a shining straight anthem, partly sung in the band's native language. I almost feel like crying in both sadness and joy.

Pretty good playlist I've made, huh? I recommend this to any industrial metal fan and anyone who isn't into industrial metal but is up to getting into a great start for the genre. Thanks to anyone who have contributed with their own submissions, and I hope the rest of you enjoy it like I've had!

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

Eighteen Visions - "Vanity" from Vanity (2002)

4.5/5. The great title opener of this Eighteen Visionsalbum pretty much lets you know all that's going on in the playlist and its original album. The metallic riffing drives through as James Hart performs not just screaming but also singing. Despite opening a new dimension in the band's sound, the latter vocal style is not as strong as the former. Neither are the lyrics. That's OK because the heavier sections like the great breakdown makes that track the powerful standout it is.

Blessthefall - "Mallxcore" from Mallxcore (2025)

5/5. Blessthefall will be coming back with their first album in 7 years. I can hear the core in this song, but it's not really mall-worthy, and that's what I love.

Trivium - "Dusk Dismantled" from In Waves (2011)

5/5. This highlight continues the heavy path, this time even more furious, darker, and containing only screaming.

Lorna Shore - "Unbreakable" from Unbreakable (2025)

5/5. I think I just found my new ultimate favorite Lorna Shore track, surpassing the likes of "Cursed to Die" and "And I Return to Nothingness". Lots of Parkway Drive-like melody, and the lyrics are so motivational, "And after it all, our hearts are invincible, like diamonds we glow, WE ARE UNBREAKABLE!!!!"

Wolves at the Gate - "Lights & Fire" from Eulogies (2022)

4.5/5. And the motivation continues! That's something to expect from Christian bands, isn't it?

All That Remains - "Six" from The Fall of Ideals (2006)

5/5. Another death metal-influenced song starting off with lightning fast melodeath riffs and blast beats. Then we have more of the breakdowns and clean/shouting vocals. Then in the middle, the song slows down with melodic riffs, a simple drum beat, and a short solo, before the song repeats the intro one more time.

Cave In - "Crossbearer" from Beyond Hypothermia (1998)

4.5/5. My favorite song of this Cave In demo compilation album, already giving you what to expect from this band. There's the usual metalcore structure within the riffing, screams, and occasional cleans. If there's anything to plant the seed for metal/mathcore bands like The Dillinger Escape Plan, 2000s Converge, Botch, and Skycamefalling, this is that. Everything about this song is memorable, from the intro to the clean bridge and the rifftastic chaos in between, with those vocals hooks embedded in your head. Truly an epitome of classic metalcore!

Calva Louise - "Tunnel Vision" from Edge of the Abyss (2025)

4/5. This one starts with a sweet pop intro, then the rest is an alt-metalcore blast often turning into pop and dubstep. Awesome start for that album!

Dal Av, Jackson Rose - "Colors Collapsed" from Petrichor (2025)

4.5/5. A potential insta-classic banger. What else can I say?

A Day to Remember - "Bullfight" from Bad Vibrations (2016)

5/5. Another f***ing standout of a song! The breakdown shall never be ignored.

As I Lay Dying - "Confined" from Shadows are Security (2005)

4.5/5. If we don't think too much about the sh*t Tim Lambesis has gone through, classics like this can still be enjoyed. There are some things to enjoy, like the clean chorus.

Neaera - "...To Oblivion" from The Rising Tide of Oblivion (2005)

5/5. Although this track works better with the "From Grief" intro, the song itself is an awesome melodeath/metalcore monster. And let me tell you, midway through is one of my favorite riffs of the genre.

Born of Osiris - "Activated" from Through Shadows (2025)

4.5/5. Everything experienced so far is put together in a trancey metalcore fiesta. I love the guest vocals by Underoath's Spencer Chamberlain and the saxophone solo that can surpass "Careless Whisper".

Underoath - "Thorn" from Voyeurist (2022)

4/5. This one is a melodic return to the post-hardcore basics of bands like Circa Survive and I See Stars in flowing emotion. It's a special delicate song to make a nice break from the heavier metalcore anthems.

Parkway Drive - "Karma" from Deep Blue (2010)

4.5/5. Another highlight with excellent riffing and a superb solo that would suffocate you with its technical aura before a monumentally memorable moshing breakdown.

Architects - "Blackhole" from The Sky, the Earth & All Between (2025)

4/5. Another f***ing h*ll of a headbanging single with some of the greatest vocal intensity from Sam Carter. Adding to the perfection is the drumming by Dan Searle. That shall get the live crowd going!

Deadguy - "The Long Search for Perfect Timing" from Near-Death Travel Services (2025)

4.5/5. An aptly titled track ending the earlier fans' 30-year search for a song to surpass the debut. I'm also guessing the band was listening to 7 Angels 7 Plagues in the first few years of inactivity.

Coalesce - "A Disgust for Details" from Functioning on Impatience (1998)

5/5. The most furious way to finish its original album. To be honest, I don't think there's a lot fiercer than that track from much of this band's material or mathcore. That's the heaviness to remind me of us where they started in their debut!

Stevie T - "Metalcore Song" from Metalcore Song (2013)

4.5/5. Lately I've been watching some videos by Steve Terreberry, both his music and his more comedic videos. His "Metalcore Song" is more of a joke track, but it's quite a banger that exemplifies metalcore music and lyrics in a nutshell. I enjoy his growls and singing. And he's right, every song needs a techno breakdown and a solo.

Demon Hunter - "Ribcage" from The Triptych (2005)

4/5. This is the last track in its original album to have any heaviness. It starts with a loud rising blast of guitar riffs. The clean chorus is really impressive, but the growls sound a little off.

August Burns Red - "Bloodletter" from Guardians (2020)

4.5/5. This massive track is filled with aggression and over the top breakdowns. It follows the lyrical theme of greedy needs taking over society. The measures are a bit repetitive, but that's just a small flesh-wound of a flaw.

Motionless in White - "Undead Ahead 2: The Tale of the Midnight Ride" from Disguise (2019)

4/5. My favorite song in this MIW album. As if this song being a sequel to an earlier one wasn't the tip-off, it stands out with a lot of the band's earlier metalcore heaviness and a catchy chorus. The instrumentation is so strong, as is Chris' screaming. Just be careful when driving while listening to this song, especially in the heavy breakdown.

Currents - "It Only Gets Darker" from It Only Gets Darker (2025)

4.5/5. If you think the music in this playlist so far is fun and upbeat, well... IT ONLY GETS DARKER. And the screams get better.

Frontierer - "Corrosive Wash" from Oxidized (2021)

4/5. It also gets more f***ing chaotic, and it's quite addictive.

Converge - "Vengeance" from No Heroes (2006)

3.5/5. And how about a couple really short tracks to throw into the mix! The familiarity is too much to hide here.

Car Bomb - "Rid" from Centralia (2007)

4/5. A brief blast through extreme math-grind.

The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravanganza - "Passenger 57" from Danza 3: The Series of Unfortunate Events (2010)

4.5/5. The members all have kick-A talent, especially proven midway through. Seriously, they should really come back.

Psyopus - "Scissor Fuck Paper Doll" from Our Puzzling Encounters Considered (2007)

4/5. F***ing decimating mathcore that is not for the faint-hearted or the inexperienced.

The Chariot - "Back to Back" from The Fiancee (2007)

4.5/5. Quite some heavy energy for a Christian band, the same kind of energy from Blood of the Martyrs. Whatever beliefs you have, you're here to have fun with some music from this band by former Norma Jean vocalist Josh Scogin.

Cult Leader - "Gutter Gods" from Lightless Walk (2015)

4/5. A kick-A track from an 11-track album of chaos and darkness.

The Red Chord - "Face Area Solution" from Fed Through the Teeth Machine (2009)

4.5/5. One last short deathly blast before the grand finale, with some guest growls by The Acacia Strain's Vincent Bennett.

Mental Cruelty - "A Tale of Salt and Light" from Zwielicht (2023)

5/5. This epic finale has the symphonic death metal/core of Ex Deo and early Betraying the Martyrs to make one of the most glorious deathcore tracks ever! However, there's still one track left that would make a grand continuation and conclusion...

Worm Shepherd - "And at the End of Fear, Silentium" from Hunger (2024)

5/5. One of the best track titles I've seen in all of metal. The track itself is another one of the most glorious tracks I've heard in symphonic blackened deathcore. Chaos and triumph reign all over. The soloing is some of the best I've heard from last year, probably greater than even DragonForce's solos! Evilness and grief continues to last until the end, with a final epic orchestral melodeath march rising into some blackened blasts and screams once more, and finally resting in mournful piano. Man, what an ending!

Pretty good playlist I've made, huh? I recommend this to any metalcore fan and anyone who isn't into metalcore but is up to getting into a great start for the genre. Thanks to anyone who have contributed with their own submissions, and I hope the rest of you enjoy it like I've had!

Here's my review summary:

As we all know, Northern Europe has pretty much the biggest amount of metal bands in any subregion. Denmark doesn't have as many popular metal bands as in Norway, Sweden, and Finland, but I enjoy some notable bands from the country including Mercenary and Mnemic. What if you can combine the sounds of those two bands to make tech-ish melodeath/cyber metal? Enter the Interbeing, whose killer talent is highly displayed in their perfect debut Edge of the Obscure! The cyber melody and heavy rhythms show a lot of the band's Mnemic/Fear Factory influences. There's also djenty groove worth headbanging to if you're a fan of Periphery and Meshuggah. With that, Edge of the Obscure shows that the band can wear their influences like a battle jacket. Something that sounds amongst the best really should've made it big!

5/5

Recommended tracks: "Pulse Within the Paradox", "Face Deletion", "Fields of Grey", "Swallowing White Light", "Celestial Flames", "Rhesus Artificial"

For fans of: Fear Factory, Mnemic, Soilwork

Here's my review summary:

August Burns Red has one of the most solid discographies to come from a metalcore band. They've made great albums in their career, including the perfect Constellations. I've always wondered if there would ever be another August Burns Red that as much of a masterpiece as Constellations. Well I shall wonder no more with their new offering Death Below! The album is a much further throwback with their fast pacing in songs that I can consider total bangers. Plus a few songs each have a guest appearance from a vocalist or guitarist of another well-known metalcore band, and that's often a grand treat. Those guests includes Killswitch Engage vocalist Jesse Leach, guitarist Jason Richardson (known for his work with All That Remains, All Shall Perish, Born of Osiris, and Chelsea Grin), Erra's JT Cavey, and Underoath vocalist Spencer Chamberlain. An alternate version of "The Cleansing" also includes the one and only Will Ramos of Lorna Shore. Oh yeah, "The Cleansing" and "Reckoning" are two of the greatest highlights here, two nearly 8-minute epics that are the band's longest, not including the closing epic of their 2005 debut, all full of stylistic transcendence. All in all, Death Below can show you how to overcome the dark struggles of this decade and look into the light, through heaviness and despair. August Burns Red's 10th album can very well be their greatest, most ambitious work yet!

5/5

Recommended tracks: "The Cleansing", "Ancestry", "Backfire", "Revival", "Dark Divide", "Reckoning"

For fans of: All That Remains, Erra, Killswitch Engage

When Herbie Langhans stepped in as Firewind's new vocalist starting with their 2020 self-titled album, the band brought back the earlier classic heavy metal part of their sound from the Stephen Fredrick era, side-by-side with their usual power metal. Many tracks in this album are more mid-tempo and have more classic anthemic-sounding insturmentation, as opposed to the fast melodic style of power metal. So I'd like to send Firewind's 2020 self-titled album to the Hall to be added to heavy metal while staying in power metal.

Good list, Rex! I enjoy the opening tracks for those Neurosis and Killing Joke albums as well.

I discovered an activity like this in a subreddit and thought we could have some fun with it in this site. Who do you think would make the ultimate Sphere band? Can be members from any bands you want, not just from bands of the same clan. You can even come up with your own name and specific genre for the band if you'd like. Have fun! Here's my example:

Melissa Rosenberg (Mel Rose) – clean vocals

Evan K – lead guitar

Dino Cazares – rhythm guitar, backing vocals

Stian Hinderson (Nagash/Lex Icon) − bass guitar, harsh vocals, additional clean vocals

Dirk Verbeuren – drums

Janne Tolsa – keyboards, synthesizers, orchestration, backing vocals

Band name: Powershifters

Genres: Symphonic/blackened/cyber metal in a similar vein to The Kovenant, Nexaeon-era Illidiance, and some of Mechina's songs that blend clean and harsh vocals

I discovered an activity like this in a subreddit and thought we could have some fun with it in this site. Who do you think would make the ultimate Revolution band? Can be members from any bands you want, not just from bands of the same clan. You can even come up with your own name and specific genre for the band if you'd like. Have fun! Here's my example:

Will Ramos - male harsh vocals

Neal Tiemann - lead guitar

Chris Wiseman - rhythm guitar, male clean vocals

Mikael Reinikka - bass guitar

Art Cruz - drums

Alex Reade - keyboards, keytar, orchestration, female clean/harsh vocals

Band name: Emotional Suffering

Genre: Symphonic/blackened/melodic deathcore throwing back to its earlier wave of bands like The Breathing Process, Winds of Plague, and early Make Them Suffer

I discovered an activity like this in a subreddit and thought we could have some fun with it in this site. Who do you think would make the ultimate Infinite band? Can be members from any bands you want, not just from bands of the same clan. You can even come up with your own name and specific genre for the band if you'd like. Have fun! Here's my example:

Maynard James Keenan – lead vocals

Ron Jarzombek – guitar

Gary Wehrkamp – guitar

John Myung – bass

Jerry Gaskill – drums, percussion, backing vocals

Michael Pinnella − keyboards, backing vocals

Band name: Interpacific

Genres: Progressive/alternative metal/rock

I discovered an activity like this in a subreddit and thought we could have some fun with it in this site. Who do you think would make the ultimate Horde band? Can be members from any bands you want, not just from bands of the same clan. You can even come up with your own name and specific genre for the band if you'd like. Have fun! Here's my example:

Björn "Speed" Strid – lead vocals

Jani Liimatainen – guitars, additional clean vocals

Michael Amott − guitars, backing vocals

Ted Lundström − bass

Shannon Lucas – drums

Janne Wirman – keyboards, backing vocals

Band name: Imperial Storm

Genres: Melodic death/power metal in a similar vein to Children of Bodom, Mercenary, and Skyfire

I discovered an activity like this in a subreddit and thought we could have some fun with it in this site. Who do you think would make the ultimate Gateway band? Can be members from any bands you want, not just from bands of the same clan. You can even come up with your own name and specific genre for the band if you'd like. Have fun! Here's my example:

Sonny Sandoval − lead vocals

Dan Donegan – lead guitar, backing vocals

Mike Shinoda – rhythm guitar, rap vocals

Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu – bass guitar

Shawn "Clown" Crahan – drums, percussion, backing vocals

Frank Delgado – keyboards, turntables, samples

Band name: Meteocrity

Genres: Alternative/nu metal with lyrics battling against the genre's criticism

The prog/psych elements in Cave In's new album spread into many songs to make a more progressive alt-metal offering. This is also noted in the lengthy structures and complexity within the music. So I'd like to submit Cave In's "Heavy Pendulum" to be added to The Infinite while staying in The Gateway.

Thanks, Daniel.

Inspired by one of my current favorite YouTube channels Thralls of Metal, I decided to also get in the "band's greatest hits" trend of compiling tracks from different albums by a band as your own "greatest hits" kind of album. If you have any of your own "greatest hits" albums for your favorite bands, feel free to post them here.

Here are my rules for how I would do my own "greatest hits" albums, but you may have your own rules:

1. Two songs per each studio album; one popular track and one underrated track.

2. One song per other album (remix album, EP, etc.).

3. If a track is at least 10 minutes long or close to that, it counts as two songs.

4. Might add in one extra song for one of the albums.

5. If the length of the tracklisting exceeds 80 minutes (the CD length limit), it's split into two discs, maybe 3 discs if even longer.

6. Songs are in chronological order.

Let's start with this Norwegian symphonic gothic/melodeath band:

Trail of Tears - https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5PumWxcuPRl0sgAGqglkTt (Disclosure in Red not on Spotify, songs from that album replaced with "Countdown to Ruin")

1. When Silence Cries

2. Illusion?

3. Driven Through the Ruins

4. Disappointment's True Face

5. Ecstatic

6. A Fate Sealed in Red

7. Joyless Trance of Winter

8. Dry Well of Life

9. Deceptive Mirrors

10. Shades of Yesterday

11. Bloodstained Endurance

12. A Storm at Will

13. Farewell to Sanity

14. Waves of Existence

15. Path of Destruction

16. No Colours Left

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

2 Times Terror - "D.E.A.D." from Equals One Sudden Death (2010)

4.5/5. Already making use of Turmion Katilot's roots is the opening track of its original album and this playlist. 2 Times Terror knows how to make electronic rhythms like The Berzerker but without any speed-grind. What's different compared to Turmion Katilot is the use of female vocals. All in all, we have an excellent piece of electro-metal with both male and female vocals. A well-done example of opposites attract!

Fear of Domination - "Pandemonium" from Create.Control.Exterminate (2011)

5/5. More of Saku Solin and Niina Telen's vocals come together in perhaps my favorite track of its original album. The song has some Norther vibes in both the music and vocals. Solin adds more depth and accent to his growls, and the end result is another unique blend of extreme and melodic.

Gothminister - "Darkside" from Happiness in Darkness (2008)

5/5. This highlight ascends with gloomy choir atmosphere before powerful drumming, alongside more of the hard-hitting guitars and orchestra.

Lord of the Lost - "I Will Die In It" from I Will Die In It (2025)

4.5/5. A well-done piece of gothic/industrial metal by this German band.

Genitorturers - "Liars Lair" from Sin City (1998)

4/5. Opening things up further is where Genitorturers continue riding through different stylistic territories.

Sonic Violence - "Tortured (Dub)" from Jagd (1990)

4.5/5. This next track is quite an effective one. It starts with a sample of Mozart's "Dies Irae". Then we have devastating on-off guitar riffing in mechanical greatness. You can also hear some lovely synths later on. The harsh vocals fit greatly with the lyrics.

Old - "Disconnect Self" from Lo Flux Tube (1991)

4/5. Deathly experimental industrial metal when an 8-bit-ish bass. "BODY TURN...TO ASH...TURN...TO MEMORY!!!!!"

Nine Inch Nails - "Wish" from Fixed (1992)

4.5/5. The 9-minute remix of the most well-known single of Broken, is given a minute-and-a-half long drum beat intro that crescendos into the dominating main riff.

The Amenta - "Vermin" from n0n (2008)

5/5. Another f***ing monster. It takes some time to patience to actually dig this kind of chaos, and when you do, it's all worth the experience. The vicious vocals ranging between growls, screams, and whispers are so haunting!

White Zombie - "Grease Paint and Monkey Brains" from Astro-Creep: 2000 - Songs of Love, Destruction and Other Synthetic Delusions of the Electric Head (1995)

4.5/5. This is probably one of the least popular songs amongst the earlier metalheads. Being the young modern metal listener I am, I like it. There's more of a Static-X vibe here which isn't too bad. One of the most metal songs in the album!

Ministry - "Stigmata" from The Land of Rape and Honey (1988)

4/5. One of the best tunes displayed in its original album kicks it off with fuzzy keyboard riffing. Al Jourgensen would enter the scene with a howl of maximum distortion. The riff and beat drives the song through well.

Oddko - "D4TM" from Digital Gods (2020)

4.5/5. "D4TM" stands for "Dope for the Masses". More like "Dope for the Mad Maxes"! If you've watched the music video, you would know what I mean. This is more of a punk-ish cyber/industrial metal track. Cyberpunk has gotten a new meaning!

Deathstars - "CyberGore Generation" from Damage Theory (2010)

5/5. This standout can almost be considered "Cyber-core", blending together the cyber metal of Deathstars with a bit of the melodic metalcore of Memphis May Fire, The Autumn Offering, and Of Mice & Men.

Neurotech - "Uplift" from Evasive (2015)

4.5/5. This is the closest we have to intense heaviness, actually being the only symphonic industrial metal track in Evasive in terms of vibe.

Mechina - "Unearthing the Daedalian Ancient" from As Embers Turn to Dust (2017)

5/5. The greatest symphonic-ish highlight is followed by the greatest cyber one with this darker, heavier, more epic take on the old-school technicality of Alchemist, Dark Angel, and Pestilence. Another strong climatic composition!

Pain - "I Am" from I Am (2024)

4.5/5. Pain shall never stop! The band, of course.

Poppy - "All the Things She Said" from All the Things She Said (2020)

4/5. The edition of I Disagree I was reviewing includes a bonus cover of this t.A.T.u. hit, and interestingly enough, this is one of my favorite tracks of that album, fitting in the "metalizing covers" category by adding in dark alt-/industrial metal drama while staying true to the original. If that isn't Poppy's most emotional moment, I don't know what is!

Celldweller - "Into the Void - Sebastian Kromor Remix" from Satellites (Remixed) (2023)

4.5/5. Amazing hellfire in this remix! "Baptized by Fire" should get a similar treatment.

Tyrant of Death - "Anchorite" from Superior Firepower (2019)

4/5. Something so simple yet blasting should end up in the DOOM soundtrack. The artwork for its original album fits well with the music. Alex Rise shows his kick-A talent from beginning to end. This is especially true throughout the second third of the track. Keep up the heaviness, Alex!

Shum - "F64.00" from Pulzáló dobok tisztítják meg az eget (2024)

3.5/5. This is where things start to rotate in experimental territory.

Bliss Signal - "Swarm" from Drift (2018)

3/5. And then some blackgaze gets added to the sound.

Neo Inferno 262 - "Of Angels and Silicon" from Pleonectic (2023)

3.5/5. Maybe some strange distorted angel chanting added here as well.

Deathstars - "No Light" from Synthetic Generation (2002)

4/5. Then we get back to more familiar territory with another strong track by Deathstars.

The Project Hate MCMXCIX - "Solemn" from Death Ritual Covenant (2018)

4.5/5. The grand finale, having the melancholic melodeath of Omnium Gatherum while still covered in electro-industrial beauty.

Pretty good playlist I've made, huh? I recommend this to any industrial metal fan and anyone who isn't into industrial metal but is up to getting into a great start for the genre. Thanks to anyone who have contributed with their own submissions, and I hope the rest of you enjoy it like I've had!

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

Imminence - "God Fearing Man" from The Return of the Black (2025)

5/5. Another super cool start to a Revolution playlist! As always, we have the blend of beauty and brutality. And d*mn, that breakdown is one of the heaviest of this year!

Miss May I - "I.H.E." from Deathless (2015)

4.5/5. "Miss May I is a Christian band", my a**. Sure some members are Christians, but the lyrics in some songs like this one darker and filled with swearing.

Lorna Shore - "Oblivion" from Oblivion (2025)

5/5. Lorna Shore are back with their upcoming album I Feel the Everblack Festering Within Me. And with their new single "Oblivion", I enjoy the music that throws back to 5 years ago in the Immortal era, along with the lyrics growled by Will Ramos. With that said, I'm hoping for more of his vocal techniques in the upcoming album, like some of his clean singing from his YouTube covers? Not too much of it, of course.

Shadow of Intent - "Gravesinger" from Melancholy (2019)

5/5. Saxy requested this for the June playlist, but I postponed it to July because I wanted to include their new single "Feeding the Meatgrinder", and I felt like giving this one some slight space after its inclusion in April 2022's Revolution playlist. Anyway, seems like Shadow of Intent took Betraying the Martyrs' earlier sound to a much darker level alongside some classical elements of Bach and Beethoven mixed with some of the most brutal metal subgenres out there. This might also include some Dimmu Borgir-like symphonic black metal in the middle. And the outro with neoclassical soloing before a symphonic closure is just EPIC.

Undying - "Reckoning" from At History's End (2003)

4.5/5. This highlight has the best of many bands past and future, including late 90s Cave In, The Ghost Inside, Killswitch Engage, and Omnium Gatherum. A brilliant start to its original album!

The Autumn Offering - "Your Time Is Mine" from Fear Will Cast No Shadow (2007)

4/5. F***ing great melodic metalcore, similar to what All That Remains would have in Overcome the following year.

Cryptopsy - "Anoint the Dead" from The Unspoken King (2008)

3.5/5. This one is a far better blend of brutality and dissonance than the rest of its original album, tearing down the walls the way technical deathcore is meant to.

Drown in Sulphur - "Absentia" from Vengeance (2025)

5/5. Speeding things up is this incredible highlight, only slowing down at the end for one of the darkest breakdowns of the year. Perhaps my favorite deathcore track here!

Bury Tomorrow - "What If I Burn" from Will You Haunt Me, with That Same Patience (2025)

4.5/5. Daniel Winter-Bates and Tom Prendergast are two of the most kick-A vocal duos in modern metal, and their new album keeps up the power of the previous one.

Orthodox - "One Less Body (feat. Brann Dailor)" from A Door Left Open (2025)

5/5. WHAT THE F***?!? This is absolutely heavy brutal nu metalcore! The only moment of clean emotion is the guest appearance by Brann Dailor of Mastodon. He has already performed guest vocals in a Bleed from Within song, so that's a cool bonus. This is also around the time when Brent Hinds left Mastodon and is callous about it.

Malevolence - "So Help Me God" from Where Only the Truth is Spoken (2025)

4.5/5. Malevolence is back at it again with another gold heavy banger from their new album.

Dal Av - "Protohuman" from Protohuman (2025)

4/5. The intro to this song is quite phenomenal in the drums, leading to the rest of this neck-straining banger featuring Hollow Front vocalist Tyler Tate. The instrumentation sounds quite killer and might come out equally well on its own. You can really feel the anger in the lyrics. Not even Rammstein can go that dark.

We Came as Romans - "Shapes" from Dreams (2008)

4.5/5. RIP Kyle Pavone. He was an essential part of what made We Came as Romans one of the best metalcore/post-hardcore bands out there. I guess you can EP planted the seed for their debut To Plant a Seed.

Ankor - "Embers" from Shoganai (2024)

4/5. My brother and I aren't the only age group (mid-20s) to discover catchy bangers by this band. Even people around our dad's age are finding good appeal here.

Bury Your Dead - "Year One" from Year One (2008)

4.5/5. I love the soloing by Mark Tremonti of Alter Bridge and Tremonti in this track, adding f***ing sweet emotion to the bada** heaviness. And the beauty bleeds into the final chorus. Myke Terry is an amazing vocalist in both Bury Your Dead and Volumes. Though I can't deny that Mat Bruso is the better deal for this band. Lots of dark emotion in the lyrics too, "It's an uphill battle, and we're losing stride". The blend of singing and screaming is what we need more of, not just from Myke Terry. This is true metalcore, unlike when people think The Black Dahlia Murder is metalcore (they're melodeath) and a few generic bands out there, no disrespect there. So if you wish to be open-minded, think twice before turning your back on the hardcore/metalcore scene.

Architects - "Even If You Win, You're Still a Rat" from Daybreaker (2012)

5/5. And even if the haters win, they're still rats. This awesome highlight has guest vocals by Bring Me the Horizon vocalist Oli Sykes. It's just 3 minutes of metalcore chaos, just the way I love it!

Confessions of a Traitor - "Fearless" from Guided (2019)

4.5/5. Confessions of a Traitor can strike hard with their metalcore sound without fear.

The Number Twelve Looks Like You - "Clarissa Explains Cuntainment" from Nuclear. Sad. Nuclear (2005)

5/5. I wanna set this as my phone's alarm tone. This is one of my favorite songs by this band, with so much to enjoy like the riff 30 seconds in and the one starting the final 30 seconds. And it would work as well without vocals which are also great.

Botch - "Closure" from The Unifying Themes of Sex, Death and Religion (1997)

4.5/5. Then we slam into this track from a various artists compilation. A true trail of noise and destruction!

Frontierer - "Glitcher" from Unloved (2018)

4/5. This mathcore banger barely disappoints at all.

Ion Dissonance - "O.A.S.D." from Solace (2005)

4.5/5. Some of the most brutal sh*t in mathcore right here! Especially in the killer breakdown at the one-minute mark. There's no harmony and barely any set structure and it works greatly, with lyrics suitable for battling enemies in video games. Truly emotional in the raging side! And they never have to go as deathly brutal as Despised Icon nor make any of the symphonic turns Winds of Plague has. This really should've been as popular as Justin Bieber, maybe even more so.

The Chariot - "The Deaf Policemen" from The Fiancee (2007)

4/5. The more melodic riffing here seems to have taken some cues from Nirvana, but I enjoy the lyrics here, especially at the ending, "If there's blood on the roots, then there is blood on the branches".

Polaris - "Fault Line" from Fatalism (2023)

4.5/5. This one starts soft in the synths before launching into another easy yet impressive banger.

Calva Louise - "Impeccable" from Impeccable (2025)

4/5. Great song with more of Jess Allanic's impressive vocals. I gotta thank my brother for recommending this track to me.

Demon Hunter - "Light Bends" from Light Bends (2025)

4.5/5. I'm not even Christian and yet I end up getting strong faith, thanks to this solid banger.

Blessthefall - "See You on the Outside" from Hollow Bodies (2013)

5/5. Absolutely perfect music and lyrics here! I really enjoy this one striking my metalcore/post-hardcore heart. Escape the Fate vocalist Craig Mabbitt was in this band for their debut before joining that other band.

Moments - "Black Widow" from Hopes & Dreams (2015)

4.5/5. Let's take a moment to enjoy this modern metalcore track.

Wage War - "Will We Ever Learn" from Pressure (2019)

5/5. "Death walks among us, his sword hangs above us."

The Amity Affliction - "All That I Remember" from All That I Remember (2025)

4.5/5. We need more content from this band with their new bassist/clean vocalist Jonathan Reeves, originally from Kingdom of Giants.

Wolves at the Gate - "Unrest" from Wasteland (2025)

5/5. Let's end this playlist with what might just be my new favorite song by Wolves at the Gate, and perhaps one of the best of this year! I have a feeling there will be a sequel album titled Borderland, based on the ending lyric, "Come out the wasteland into the Borderland." I also enjoy other lyrics such as "I need a remedy, I hear my elegy singing the last verse", and the drumming especially at around the one and a half minute mark. Absolutely fantastic and can easily decimate their earlier post-hardcore material. One of the heaviest parts is the breakdown complete with a "SHUT UP!!!" scream more powerful than that of Linkin Park's "One Step Closer". Truly a killer way out!

Pretty good playlist I've made, huh? I recommend this to any metalcore fan and anyone who isn't into metalcore but is up to getting into a great start for the genre. Thanks to anyone who have contributed with their own submissions, and I hope the rest of you enjoy it like I've had!

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

Nightwish - "The Poet and the Pendulum" from Dark Passion Play (2007)

4.5/5. Ah yeah, let's start this playlist with what I still think is one of the greatest symphonic metal album opening epics! 5 parts go on through an incredible 14 minutes. But why should I describe them all? It's too beautiful for words. Just listen and learn!

Deep Purple - "Speed King" from Deep Purple in Rock (1970)

4/5. This classic opener starts off this Deep Purple album in a bang with fast distorted shredding before fading into soft ambient organ. Then the hard rock/heavy metal rolls in, and you might not agree with me here, but this is practically proto-speed metal! Maybe close to speed rock? Still the organ shines in some sections. An upbeat way to begin this early example of a heavy metal album!

Black Sabbath - "Sweet Leaf" from Master of Reality (1971)

4.5/5. I love you, "Sweet Leaf"! The song, not the drug. I don't do drugs. This is a slow-ish early heavy metal song that can also come across as proto-stoner metal. I also love the soloing at the 3-minute mark that hints at the D-flat tuning Tony Iommi would in other songs from that album.

Ozzy Osbourne - "No More Tears" from No More Tears (1991)

4/5. Interestingly, this reminds me a lot of the second half of one of my YouTube pen-pal Danny Ultrawiz's songs, the progressive ballad "Thinking About You". I practically forgot about that Danny Ultrawiz song until I stumbled upon this Ozzy Osbourne. I wondering if that's part of what inspired it. Anyway, I enjoy the vocals, but the spoken words are hard to understand.

Rainbow - "Stargazer" from Rising (1976)

4.5/5. One of the greatest songs of 70s hard rock/heavy metal, hinting at both progressive and power metal tendencies. RIP DIO

Diamond Head - "Am I Evil?" from Lightning to the Nations (1980)

4/5. One more killer heavy metal epic. It was covered by Metallica and the entire Lightning to the Nations album was re-recorded for its 40th anniversary.

Fireforce - "The Battle of Ramadi" from The Battle of Ramadi (2025)

3.5/5. Some good kick-A thrashy power metal right here, sending the enemies into the lungs of Hell.

Iron Maiden - "Flight of Icarus" from Piece of Mind (1983)

3/5. Decent song, but better for my dad's generation, no offense. "Fly on your way like an eagle..."

Queensryche - "Take Hold of the Flame" from The Warning (1984)

3.5/5. Same with this one, although I enjoy Geoff Tate's golden singing and the soloing by Chris DeGarmo.

Airforce - "The Fury" from Acts of Madness (2025)

4/5. Wow, there are quite a few heavy/power metal bands whose name ends with "force"; Fireforce, Airforce, DragonForce... Anyway, it continues that classic heavy metal sound of Iron Maiden and early Queensryche, but better and more modernized.

Stratovarius - "Hunting High and Low" from Infinite (2000)

4.5/5. Still a power metal classic after all these years, like since I first heard it over 10 years before this comment. Lots of great melody here! And apparently its been associated a lot with Dragon Ball Z Budokai.

Visions of Atlantis - "Hellfire" from Pirates II: Armada (2024)

5/5. Wow... I thought I've distanced myself from exploring more female-fronted symphonic metal after the ones I've already heard of (apart from Mechina and other more extreme bands), but this is epic! Awesome power in the vocals and instrumentation, like Nightwish gone Alestorm.

Manticora - "Echoes of a Silent Scream" from To Kill to Live to Kill (2018)

4.5/5. Not gonna lie, this is one of the most intense power metal songs I've heard. Solid heavy/melodic gold! Thanks for this, Sonny.

Alestorm - "The Storm" from The Thunderfist Chronicles (2025)

4/5. Another pirate metal storm awaits for Alestorm. I really enjoy the guitar soloing that is like its own lyric-less vocal melody.

Gloryhammer - "He Has Returned" from He Has Returned (2024)

4.5/5. As for Christopher Bowes' other band Gloryhammer, Angus McFife has returned with a new voice in their new album Return to the Kingdom of Fife. This song never disappoints and details an exciting robot battle that would fit well in Ultrakill.

Warkings - "Kings of Ragnarok" from Kings of Ragnarok (2025)

5/5. Although I'm past my power metal prime, there are still bangers like this for me to love. An awesome anthem to touch the hearts of power metal fans!

Sabaton - "Hordes of Khan" from Hordes of Khan (2025)

4.5/5. Sabaton is back with a new single about the Hungarians battling against the Mongol Empire formed under the wrath of Khan. Genghis Khan. I don't care what some people say, there's lots of chaotic energy that hasn't left the band. It's a nice break from their two new albums centered around World War I. So simple yet killer!

Battle Beast - "Last Goodbye" from Last Goodbye (2025)

4/5. I'm thankful that bands like Battle Beast haven't said their last goodbye yet, when we have catchy bangers like this one.

Time Requiem - "Visions of New Dawn" from Time Requiem (2002)

4.5/5. Progressive neoclassical metal sounds quite cool. I like the keyboard work by Richard Andersson and the vocals by Apollo Papathanasio who would later join Firewind. Time Requiem didn't really last as long as Firewind though. I also like the Dream Theater vibes here.

Symphony X - "In the Dragon's Den" from Twilight of Olympus (1998)

5/5. Symphony X also kick a** with the progressive neoclassical metal sound. Sometimes, melody doesn't have to be as deathly as Dark Tranquillity and In Flames. You can get it from bands that are meant to sound like Symphony X, Stratovarius, and Nightwish. Short songs balance out against longer epics.

Volbeat - "Evelyn" from Beyond Hell / Above Heaven (2010)

4.5/5. You want what sounds like Alter Bridge gone Entombed?! The guest vocals by Barney Greenway of Napalm Death are a killer surprise! Then the heaviness is dialed back by the usual rock-ish chorus. We need more heavy hammering tracks like this, honestly.

Xerath - "Veil Part 2" from Xerath III (2014)

5/5. Holding on to the epic intensity once more, the closing track of its original album and this playlist makes one final move at combining film score-style orchestra with metal, and it pays off, adding beautiful harmony to this apocalyptic chaos.

Pretty good playlist I've made, huh? I recommend this to any heavy/power/symphonic/neoclassical metal fan and anyone who isn't into those genres but is up to getting into a great start for the genre. Thanks to anyone who have contributed with their own submissions, and I hope the rest of you enjoy it like I've had!

Here's my review summary:

Conflиct has diverse maturity in their songwriting. The blend of industrial and groove is quite fresh and is different from how other bands do it. I enjoy Anna Hel's growls here, filled with emotion and passion. However, her cleans rely a little too much on autotune and almost come out as unnatural. I'm glad her contributions with Mechina involve just her growls. The riffing is often djenty, though they sometimes soften in the background to let the vocals shine. I enjoy this catchy heavy-melodic blend, often exploring the more progressive side of the djent-ish industrial groove metal sound that intrigues me. For those wanting more of the heavier side of Sybreed but with a female vocalist, I would recommend this offering. And I'm up to hearing more of Anna Hel's vocals. Well, mostly her growls....

4/5

Recommended tracks: "Circular Transition", "Mechanism of Life", "Rebuild the Parasite", "Half Man, Half Machine", "The Elements of a New Era", "Invisible Thread"

For fans of: Fear Factory, Mechina (especially Anna Hel's guest appearances), Sybreed

Here's my review summary:

Metalcore bands like Undying have really touched the hearts of people who were around my age (mid-20s) or younger back then. As always, Undying provide their melodic metalcore sound that was only in the early stages of popularity. There are some things different in At History's End compared to the previous album. More direct melodies, more hardcore riffs, and more poetic lyrics, the latter recited by female vocalist Logan White, replacing Timothy Roy. You gotta admire Logan's lyrical spirit! At History's End really should've had as much love and recognition as the more mainstream bands out there. Still it's fine staying underground. Now that the band has reformed recently, they now have time to create a new part of their melodic metalcore evolution and maybe hit that perfect 5-star mark. Their history shall be ongoing!

4.5/5

Recommended tracks: "Reckoning", "As Above", "For the Dying", "The Age of Grace"

For fans of: early Neaera, Allegiance-era As Blood Runs Black, Prayer for Cleansing

Here's my review summary:

I think we can thank two talented masterminds here for the brilliant idea of mixing metal and progressive jaxx, starting with the amazing guitarist Ron Jarzombek. He can handle time signatures and tempos in an impressive way that barely anyone else can with technical riffs and jazzy solos. The audible bass playing of Doug Keyser is PERFECT!!! Standing by with the guitar like a 3-legged race. What a duo of geniuses! Of course we can't ignore the other two band members, including vocalist Alan Tecchio. His high vocals are a usual part of progressive thrash, performed so well. It's impressive how high he can go while following the music. It sounds like he can do it normally with no struggle. Excellent! And finally, there's Rick Colaluca, whose style is very much the same as you would hear in jazz fusion. Imagine having an octopus drummer who's a fan of jazz and Megadeth, that's Rick right there! He has to make all those intricate time signature patterns, and yet it's all performed flawlessly. Keyser wrote and co-wrote all of the songs in this album, and Jarzombek has helped with some of the writing assisting him with the jazzy guitar progression as usual. Many highlights have insane jazzy soloing from Jarzombek as Keyser continues his amazing bass journey. So yeah, Control and Resistance deserves a perfect 5 stars for being able to add jazz into prog-thrash without messing anything up, with all that inspiring technicality and masterful writing. This is a jazzy metal treat to love!

5/5

Recommended tracks: "Instruments of Random Murder", "The Eldritch", "The Fall of Reason", "Hidden Instincts", "Dangerous Toy"

For fans of: Fates Warning, Sieges Even, Think This-era Toxik

Here's my review summary:

When lead vocalist Marc Hudson joined the band, some changes were made compared to the ZP Theart era. The songs are shorter and more restrained in length (except for an 11-minute epic), but they've added more adventurous diversity. Warp Speed Warriors sees the band exploring different territories as they did in Extreme Power Metal while not drastically diverting from their usual sound. So expect the usual speed, anthemic power, slight humor, and a cover song more powerful than its original (though it still can't beat the previous album's Celine Dion cover). As always, the band has shown what power metal should really be; fast tempos and technical soloing added to the genre's usual dose of epic and uplifting melody. But they sometimes like to make things more interesting and fresh by slowing things down for an 80s rock-inspired ballad and a couple goofy fun mid-tempo tracks. The deluxe edition comes with alternate editions of several tracks, the first 3 of which have guests from bands like Trivium, Arch Enemy, and Amaranthe. Talk about a powerhouse of metal guests! And they all perform their roles well. Hail the warriors!

4.5/5

Recommended tracks: "Astro Warrior Anthem"*, "Burning Heart"*, "Doomsday Party"*, "The Killer Queen", "Pixel Prison"

*Including guest vocalist editions

For fans of: Amaranthe, Gloryhammer, Kamelot

Thanks again, Daniel!

https://metal.academy/hall/589

https://metal.academy/hall/590

https://metal.academy/hall/588

I've passed "Odyssey (un)Dead" uncontested & have created this Hall of Judgement entry for "In Waking: Divinity":

https://metal.academy/hall/587

Good feedback, David! I see you've been enjoying a lot of the deathcore and mathcore in my playlist, plus a few melodic metalcore tracks. I would recommend to you the albums those songs have appeared on, especially Ritual Hymns which is one of my all-time favorite symphonic blackened deathcore albums that isn't Lorna Shore and a perfect way to get into that kind of style. Also please feel free to submit one or two tracks per month for the monthly Revolution playlists. Here's the thread to submit tracks: https://metal.academy/forum/14/thread/484

Thanks Daniel.

Thanks Daniel.